SUVs under Rs 22 lakh: Test drive reports & observations

Considered SUVs like the Kia Seltos, Mahindra XUV700, Tata Harrier, MG Hector and even the Jeep Compass.

BHPian Poitive recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi Folks,

Replacing the Optra Magnum after a decade of fruitful ownership. 'Finally' some might say. After having ‘Driven’ a few, seeking views from fellow mates for ‘Choosing' a vehicle.

Briefly: Being a big built guy with some recent back issues, need a high vehicle with easy ingress+egress, a lot of headroom, legroom and foot-room. Am much inclined towards a torquey diesel. Fun to drive, though much-desired comfort for the back is more important. Ideally, of course, have both. The budget reluctantly stretched it to about 20L OTR. 22L is a stretch to not rule out the Jeep Compass

Test Drive Reports + Thoughts below:

• Kia Seltos
• Tata Harrier / Safari
• MG Hector / Hector Plus
• Jeep Compass
• Mahindra XUV700 (NOT a TD - thoughts and questions)

If I test drive more, shall report below.

Besides my own search, the idea of the thread also is to help fellow T-Bhpians looking for similar vehicles to select based on observations and drives shared here.

Some background/intro:

The last time I sought help from mates for selecting a car, was overwhelmed by the affection, camaraderie and interest. While the decision got made in about 12 pages, the thread became a more general thread and had 700 posts in 4 months, and became the first thread in the What Car-Sedans section to cross over one lakh views. That was a decade ago.

Links:

• Main What-Car thread
• Sister Thread
• Ownership thread

Details of Needs and Wants:

• Intend to keep the vehicle for long. Say 9-10 years if it holds up well.
• Need a spacious vehicle. Am bigly built.

1. A comfortable seat
2. Lots of headroom
3. Ample legroom
4. Decent space in the foot-well, ideally with a dead-pedal.

• Convenient ingress+egress is important. To be easily slid onto the seat is highly desired, hence focused on an SUV.
• A mix of self and chauffeur-driven. It will typically have 1-2 people in the car.
• Monthly usage is highly uncertain. Could well be a few hundred a month, or even 2000kms odd km a month.
• Mainly city usage. Could well have ample city-suburb use which includes expressways. Within the city too, less of bumper to bumper and more of free road travel. Unlikely to have much highway use, but want to be prepared in case it is to be used such.
• An Airy cabin is much preferred.
• Features and Gizmos are not a focus, though don’t hurt. I’d any day prefer a better suspension (ride+handling) to the bling-gizmos.
• Quite dislike the idea of an automatic, so am only considering Manual Transmission. It just feels natural, enjoyable and intuitive to me.
• Due to what I’ve been used (about 230Nm/tonne) to and enjoyed, and also potential use, have only focused on diesel till now.
• Budget: started with about 14-15 in mind while exploring, but have reached about 20L OTR. Very unhappy to extend beyond that.

While I have already paid a booking amount and am frustrated with the wait, I am willing/considering a change. To avoid bias and keep views flowing freely, let us ignore that a booking has been made - at least for now.

Please share your thoughts.

I like my car to be low slung, with a good independent suspension as the Optra Magnum had. Really enjoyed that finely tuned independent multi-link suspension and how it gave a wonderful ride, yet was an extremely well-controlled car. Not as quick to react to steering inputs as its lighter and firm-suspension rivals might be, but a little anticipation took care of that. I have gotten spoilt with that. Got that for a bit over 9 lakhs about a decade ago – a lot of cars for the money, and almost no bling.

It also had amongst the highest torque to weight ratios up to cars four times the price! (IIRC only the BMW 3 series, and perhaps one more had a higher ratio) So, been used to that sort of pulling power from a low RPM. It spoils you.

We usually try to spend as per our need, then splurge much on cars. Many other hobbies and expenses to take care of If something of immense value comes up, one is willing to look at it.

With the above, you might ask: Why an SUV?

As much as I like cars with a low centre of gravity, it causes the following issues in my case:

Ingress+egress: It becomes an issue. That is my only major gripe with the Optra Magnum. A crossover or an SUV takes care of that aspect. I couldn’t think of a crossover appealing enough. Some back issues, which just might be transient in nature, made me think that I don’t want to commit to a vehicle I intend to keep for several years, and might trouble my back.

Headroom: With a change in car design styles, roof lines usually taper down significantly, and there is insufficient headroom, especially at the rear seat. With my height and body proportions, my head almost touches the ceiling of a Passat, can’t sit in a Cruze or Vento – so you get the idea. In some cars, I even have a bit of an issue on the front seat, but that is rare.

The Hunt Begins:

Being extremely cautious about the pandemic (especially considering older members of the family), tried to minimize the test drives. Saw tonnes of youtube videos, pictures, stats, and of course T-bhp to narrow down things.

Trying to keep finances in check, especially after the big pandemic hit, casually started with what was priced around the Optra Magnum then – a Honda City. So a budget of about 12-14 odd lakhs OTR, I thought.

Honda City: Since it is a bit taller than the typical sedan (certainly as compared to the Optra), and have not really struggled with ingress-egress, considered it. Didn’t specifically try it, but have spent ample time in its various avatars to have a general idea. Somehow, despite a good finish and features, and a much talked about engine, it really felt a big step down from the Optra Magnum in terms of driving pleasure and confidence. The steadiness, composure and torque of the Optra were not to be expected.

Vehicles considered:

• Mahindra XUV300: 2600 wheelbase on a budget

Status: Did not test. Others felt more appropriate.

• Hyundai Creta and Kia Seltos: Much talked about and good reviews. Appropriate budget.

Status: Seltos Test-Driven. Impressions below.

• Tata Harrier/ Tata Safari: Spacious with trims in an acceptable budget.

Status: Test-Driven. Impressions below

• MG Hector/ MG Hector Plus: Despite talk of unimpressive handling, was an obvious consideration for a spacious SUV. 2750mm wheelbase.

Status: Test-Driven. Impressions below

• Mahindra XUV700: Besides the badge, checked many of the boxes. Especially a multi-link suspension and the frequency sensing dampers.

Status: Not yet test-driven. Studied a fair bit on the net including Youtube videos for space etc. Shared impressions based on that below.

• Volkswagen Tiagun and Skoda Kushaq: Look impressive. The wheelbase of 2651 is yet compact enough for city use.

Status: Not test-driven. Mainly because there is no diesel engine.

• Jeep Compass (Base Model – Sport): Ticked many boxes, especially driving pleasure.

Status: Test-Driven. Impressions below. Stretches budget beyond comfort.

Quickly dismissed:

• Toyota Innova Crysta: Personal discomfort to Van/MPV look, Extra life over 10 years less meaningful. Too large for city use?
• Hyundai Elantra: Diesel is only 1.5 litre, petrol at 2.0 likely to have low FE. Form factor (not high enough for easy ingress-egress?)
• Mahindra Thar/Force Gurkha: Very appealing to the heart, but only 2 doors. Seemed impractical for daily use, especially when being chauffeured.
• Mahindra Scorpio: Felt dated, without requisite positive to compensate. Hadn’t liked it when I had driven the old versions (the drive wasn’t confidence-inspiring enough)
• Tata Nexon, Maruti Brezza etc: Wheelbase less than 2600mm. Imagine them to be cramped, especially in the rear. Other better options in the list.
• Isuzu D-Max with mods: Seemed an interesting option, however, thought: potential, time-consuming, questionable service support, too big, fuel efficiency.

Test Drives

Folks, the test drives were done with my specific needs in mind, and would not be as detailed as the ones I had shared on T-Bhp a decade ago. They were also done over a longish period a few months ago, so my recollection of things might be somewhat compromised. They are also very personal opinions and observations. Please bear with me. The point also is to not repeat what has been said numerous times, but share how I experienced things and my subjective opinions about the same (which also just might help some fellow-mates).

We’ve maintained extreme precautions during Covid, hence I tried to limit the number of test drives I took. They were done in the evening with traffic building up and a somewhat limited option to really stretch the vehicle. Typically with 2-3 occupants in the vehicle (me and 1-2 from the dealership).

The test drives were not focused on features etc but mainly focused on driving feel, in-cabin comfort, and ingress-egress, and some general observations.

If NOT in a rush, please skip the summaries here, and savour more detailed drive experiences below. Have added summaries there too. This post is like a handbook of sorts.

Kia Seltos - Summary

• Good handling. Nimble (good in the city). Well-controlled. Soft steering.
• Felt underpowered after the 2000cc 1370kg Optra. Sufficient, but not exciting. Decent brakes.
• The ride felt terribly harsh, coming from the Optra’s multilink to an almost unacceptable level.
• Fairly good ergonomics. The floor sunk in while entering. Front ingress-egress was good. Good driving position.
• The rear felt highly claustrophobic (tall front seats adding to it). Just about legroom in the rear. Ingress-egress not great.
• The good form factor for the city. A refined experience, especially at lower RPMs.

Tata Harrier - Summary

• Taught chassis with (very?) good handling/dynamics at different speeds. Enjoyable hydraulic steering. Good driving feel.
• Ride, though not excellent, was about acceptable – both front and back.
• The engine had sufficient power/torque but was not really rushed as one might expect (350Nm on a heavy vehicle). Brakes felt good, not excellent.
• Ergonomic issues. Knee-console issue difficult to reconcile with, and a huge concern.
• Ingress-egress was comfortable. The headroom is okay. The spacious cabin was appreciated. Quite an airy feel.
• Handsome looking, but with inconsistent design in the interior – the part one actually touches and feels every day.
• NVH and overall refinement are barely acceptable, with fear of it getting worse with time.
• Ergonomic issues aside, this came across as the one to take out for a highway drive.

Tata Safari - Summary

(This TD was more to evaluate the Harrier than the Safari per se – please also see Harrier’s TD above)

• Knee-console issue somewhat better after many adjustments, though still compromised, and disturbing overall comfort.
• Rear seats were too high for easy ingress and especially egress. The third row wasn’t checked at all.
• The extra weight at the rear could be felt and not as much fun as the Harrier.
• Rest similar to the Harrier, as above (for my purposes)

MG Hector and Hector Plus - Summary

• Brilliant low-speed ride, especially in the front row. The high speed on the rear bench is somewhat bouncy. Excellent comfort for city speeds.
• Quite well-controlled (better IMO than most reviews suggest), non-hydraulic but decent comfort based steering. Not agile. A highway cruiser, but not for spirited driving due to its suspension characteristics (?) Might be uncomfortable in the rear bench (if with less load, which is typical for me) for high-speed driving.
• Somewhat odd appearance/proportions, yet one that is likely to age well. IMO tasteless use of chrome on the (front) exterior (the plus is way better).
• Suitable ergonomics for my body, especially the driving position. Hardware buttons are sorely missed. The rear seat reclines a boon. Very spacious (especially for 4). Loved the airy feel, even from the rear seat.
• Refined feel and well-managed NVH. Gear changes (post clutch release) felt smoother than others here.
• Fiat’s MJD engine felt better tuned on the Hector, than the Harrier. More refined here. Good confidence-inspiring well weighed brakes.

Jeep Compass - Summary

• An absolute joy to drive. Excellent control. Agile, sprightly, feel of good weight distribution. Despite EPS, the steering had a hydraulic-like control feeling – kudos! Gear shifts felt right. The drive touches one’s heart!
• The ride wasn’t Seltos harsh, but not as comfy as the Hector, or even the Harrier in most conditions. Not bouncy though.
• The Fiat MJD felt faster on this one. The brakes were sure-footed and confident.
• Ingress-egress was acceptable. Seat ergonomics are good. Excellent driving position wrt the adjustable armrest and gear knob. Loved the feel of the gear knob. The front was quite good, though not Harrier/Hector spacious.
• Knee discomfort due to dash console. Partially managed with seat way back, leaving little space for the rear bench. Very surprising that Jeep has this problem.
• The rear bench felt somewhat cramped, both physically and visually. The top of the window felt low. Just about enough space for 4 large adults in the vehicle. If the driver seat is adjusted to avoid the knee-console issues, then only 3 large adults + one small adult.
• NVH management is better than Harrier, but not as good as Seltos or Hector. Not bothersome though. A sense of style and x-factor in design in both exteriors and especially interiors (dash/ac, gear knob).

Continue reading BHPian Poitive's SUV test drives for more insights, comments and information.